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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-27-2013 06:52 PM

Silmarwen

I use Petco for dry goods and the occasional plant or "common" fish (danios, neons, etc.), but if I want actual information, I'll go to the Fish Doctors. They're more of a saltwater store, honestly, but when I needed my water tested, they used the nice API test-tube kits and showed me the process and everything. I had gotten a fish there two nights before, and brought him back after I found him back-against-the-filter-intake, dead as a doornail. They had to test the water to make sure it was the fish and not the tank, but as she's doing it, the girl was totally honest about thinking the fish may have been injured as they were catching it, and that the test was just policy, and had someone go get me a new one even as she was doing the test. I like the people there a lot

01-27-2013 06:34 PM

TheDrake

Back at PetCo yesterday. I just set up a tank with an internal overflow standpipe, which I disguised by painting it black, slathering it in caulk, and rolling it in peat moss, with the idea that it would be colonized with plants like any other branch. So I stopped by PetCo just to see what plants they might have in stock that could fit the bill. They had 'moss balls' for $6, appeared to be mostly clado with some sprigs of Java. And they had these interesting things called 'mossy vines', some sort of flexible hose with Java moss growing in a fiber matrix on the outside, for $4. So I got one of those, and it actually looks quite nice snaking up and around the standpipe. Anyway, as the employee is bagging it up, she asks me if I have any plant food. I decide to play dumb and say I have fish that poop. She assures me that the plant on the vine cannot survive without supplemental plant food. Java moss! Ha! I've grown that stuff in a teacup on the windowsill with nothing but topoff. Ah well, can't blame them (too much) for trying to make a sale.

01-12-2013 03:56 PM

In.a.Box

Petsmart and petco has their pro n con.

I like petsmart for their $1 fish sale.
I like petco for their $1 glass tank.

Imo petco is more clean.
Petco carry saltwater fish, from store to store.
Petsmart in the other hand do have better more fish to pick from.

01-12-2013 02:00 PM

TheDrake

I went to PetCo yesterday to get my wellwater tested for GH (I'm pondering shrimp, needed to know how much to dilute my obviously hard wellwater with RO, but my GH kit had expired). So I asked the employee whether they test water, she said yes. I said I didn't need a full 'panel' just GH because my water is very hard and I just want to know by how much I will need to dilute it. She said to me "Oh you can just add some salt." The shock in my brain must have appeared on my face, because she she then said "Oh it's not hard, you just fill an old yogurt cup with salt then jab a bunch of holes in the lid and put it in your tank." Kind of an ion exchange softener...without the ion exchange resin?! I didn't know what to say to something so insane, all I could muster was to clarify "This is what you recommend to people with hard water?" She said yes. I said I'd have to try that someday, but for now I'm just looking to put an exact number on my GH. So she took my water sample and, to her credit, having known my desire for a specific value, brought the test to show me the results. Rather than getting an exact number, it was a dipstick with the very 'precise' range "soft, medium, hard, very hard" and my sample was off the scale. So I just thanked her and asked for my jar back (I had brought a pint of water) but she had dumped out my remaining water so I couldn't even head over to the other side of town to the more competent place, where I should have gone in the first place. But I hear it's a great place for dry goods!

01-12-2013 06:57 AM

Mrturritos

They are a better hard goods store then keep live animals alive. That says a lot from a PET store.... If they have a good sale I just go to a Petsmart and they simply price match it.

01-11-2013 04:33 PM

Shimagoma

I will say at my local shop they have been doing a good job of bringing in specialty items for my reptiles! I love their discounts and their rewards plans :p plus after a while you get to know the owners. Though I do get on their case about taking care of their reptiles...My local one has really nice people.. their animals are just always sickly.

01-11-2013 12:20 PM

Rob in Puyallup

Quote:

Originally Posted by polukoff

Keep in mind each Petco is kind of independently owned, unlike PetSmart.

Guess that explains why I find unusual critters at the local stores. One even carries cherry shrimp.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2

01-11-2013 11:32 AM

Axelrodi202

My local Petco has been carrying Hikari for at least several years now. They've started carrying NLS for the past year or so.

01-11-2013 05:19 AM

Smitty06

In the petco around Sacramento, most of them have been carrying hikari, nls, and omega one. As far as live animals... well they really need to improve.

01-11-2013 03:38 AM

thebuddha

i was happy to see a few hikari, omega one, and nls fish food at my petco! i thought for sure they would only have tetra and wardley food...

01-11-2013 02:52 AM

Mrturritos

hard goods from petco yes, any live animals HELL NO.

01-10-2013 08:42 PM

MSG

Wasn't aware the PTC was semi independent.

If you are looking for something in particular, you could speak the manager of that department. Some of them will bring in a small shipment of a new product to test it out for a trial period. If the sales are good, and other customers request it they'll reorder.

Food is relatively cheap. It's not like you're asking them to bring in a order of iron glass tanks.

01-10-2013 08:27 PM

VivaDaWolf

Quote:

Originally Posted by polukoff

Keep in mind each Petco is kind of independently owned, unlike PetSmart.

I think its the other way around.

But yeah! I saw some bug burger?, and a few other repashy lines the other day. I know we already carried crested gecko diet and something for leopards and beardies but, new good stuff is always welcome.

01-10-2013 06:36 PM

Greenmagick

Thats good....it does seem like Petco in general is starting to figure things out. I recently heard they are going to start carrying premade RAW for dogs and cats so thats a biggie.

01-10-2013 06:33 PM

polukoff

Keep in mind each Petco is kind of independently owned, unlike PetSmart.

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